Welcome to Gaia! ::

Before I begin, it's very important to me to get some feedback from you guys. Please let me know what it is you're looking for. I'm about to focus on Modern Standard Arabic. I know a wee bit of some dialects and a tiny bit on Classical Arabic (that's going to change soon!), I'll try adding a few anecdotes where-ever I can.
I'd like to hear any idea you might have.

I think I'd try my best not to bore you with long complicated tables. I've noticed it's usually best to learn grammar bit by bit, use it in a sentence, not just memorize it out of confusing tables. I guess they should be added for reference later. If you don't think the same as I, say so, and I'll change the way I do it.

Also, don't worry! I'm not approaching the alphabet right at the beginning. But it is coming...

First, I'd like to present a few simple sentences, for some simple vocabulary and grammar.

Hadha kitab - This is a book.

Hadha kitab azrak - This is a blue book.

Hadha kitab kabir - This is a large book.

Hadha kitab sarrir - This is a small book.

Hadihi shajara - This is a tree.

Hadhihi shajara kubra - This is a large tree.

Hadhihi shajara sarrira - This is a small tree.

Hadhihi shajara jameela - This is a beautiful tree.

Hadhihi shajara tawila - This is a tall tree.

In Arabic, male and female are differently presented - and objects are also included. In most cases (as here), female nouns end with an "a" - it should become clearer once we get to the alphabet.


So you've already, probably, noticed a few differences between the book and the tree -

Hadha / hadhihi - this. Hadha for male (object OR person), hadhihi for female (same).

Sarrir - small (male).
Sarrira - small (female).


~Please, notice! we said, "kitab sarrir" - the adjective always follows the noun.~


Just to review some basic vocabulary used here:

Jameel - beautiful (male); Jameela - beautiful (female).

Taweel - tall (male); Taweela - tall (female).

Sarrir - small (male); Sarrira - small (female).

Kabeer - large (male); Kubra - large (female).

Azrak - blue (male); Zurka - Blue (female).

Akhdar - green (male); Khadra - green (female).


Some extra vocabulary for practicing, and for next time:

Bayit - house (male).

Walad - boy.

Bint - girl.

Rajool - man.

Imra'ah - woman.

Baab - door (male).

Shubbak - window (male).

Sakha - yard (female).


If you're looking for a way to practice, try creating your own demonstrative (hadha / hadhihi) + noun + adjerb sentences! But don't forget matching their grammatical gender, and placing them in the correct order.

Good luck! smile

This too.

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I just had to do this the non-professional way.

Aww, now I'm getting nostalgic. I promised myself that I would indeed go back to learning Arabic someday. I'm trying to concentrate on Hebrew until I'm at least at a conversational level. sweatdrop

I'm studying Chinese in college but I'd like to pick up some conversational Arabic because I live in Detroit.

I do have one question: Do you say "A-salaam Alaykum" to everyone in Arabic? Doesn't it refer to Allah? I only ask because we have a lot of Christian Arabs here and I don't know if that's offensive or if no one really cares? Thanks, it's something that's bothered me for a long time, lol.